111- The Call of the Wolf
POV Lunara Grimwald:
“No, not from you,” he replied casually.
The smell of food overpowered everything else. I knelt on the bed and leaned over the tray, grabbing a piece of meat and shoving it into my mouth, moaning with satisfaction. I picked up one of the glasses of water and drank it all in one go, desperate, drenching my chin before reaching for more food.
“I missed this so much,” I hissed, chewing slowly.
He sat at the edge of the bed, making the mattress dip under his weight, and took a piece of bread.
“If Lyris is right, this will happen again. We need to be prepared.”
“You think the suppressant will never work when it happens?” He shook his head.
“I have no idea. I’ll ask Aldren about it. But I believe there’s nothing we can do when our nature calls. Your wolf anticipated the heat—she wanted it, as a need. Not even the inhibitor could stop her.”
I reflected on that, following his line of thought. The desires of our beasts were above and beyond us. Even though we had control over them, in some aspects there was nothing we could do.
“Well… I hope you start stocking food in your room, please,” I said, swallowing another piece of meat.
“There’s something that’s been bothering me.” I dragged my eyes toward him.
“And what is it?”
“Your heat lasted only three days, again. And it’s usually seven.” I pressed my lips together.
“It could be because we’re mated,” he pondered, nodding.
“Maybe…” I whispered, though he didn’t seem sure he believed his own words.
We finished eating in silence, prioritizing the tender meat. Our wild nature craved sustenance. Meat was our favorite food.
My wolf purred, satisfied with Edric. Besides being an incredible mate, satiating me, he was also feeding me—becoming a worthy partner.
He stood up and picked up the empty tray.
“I need to stretch my legs,” he said. I nodded. “How long has it been since you last shifted?”
“Many months,” I confessed, nostalgic.
While I was running from Alessio, I had no time—and I thought there were hunters in the forest, so I didn’t dare. And since arriving in Eldoria, I hadn’t really thought about it; I didn’t know the people well enough to trust anyone enough to transmute. I’d been neglecting it, ignoring it, but I missed it.
“Care to join me?” he asked, the silver of his eyes dancing in his irises as he waited for my answer. “No one will come near you—not with me by your side.”
My heart raced and skipped beats at once. I squirmed, anxious.
Being a wolf was part of me, part of my nature. I loved the sensations of being one completely—running through the forest, feeling my paws touch the ground, hearing and seeing every little detail.
“Yes,” I hissed, my voice high-pitched. “Gods, I’ve missed it so much.”
“I imagine so.” He lifted the tray. “I’ll drop this off in the kitchen and come back to get dressed. Wait for me ready?” He looked out the window. “It’s only snowing lightly. We should go now before it gets too late.”
I nodded, jumping up and tidying things. I turned and arranged the ruins of the clothes, aligning them in the way that felt right. Edric watched me with pressed lips before leaving.
My old room was clean and organized—very different from Edric’s. The smell of cleaning products was sharp, leaving no trace of the blood odor from the bastard who’d attacked me nights before. Nicoleta had been thorough with the cleaning.
I grabbed the first piece of clothing I saw—the oldest and most worn one—destined for its end, since it would tear to shreds when I transformed.
I stepped into the bathroom and was shocked by my reflection in the mirror above the sink. My hair was a mess, tangled and full of feathers. There were dark circles under my eyes, and my lips looked swollen and chapped.
My cheeks burned with the meaning of that.
I washed up and did my hygiene. It took me longer than usual to undo all the knots in my hair and tie it back into a ponytail.
Edric and I had bathed together, used his bathtub many times—and made love in it just as often, so many times I couldn’t even count. We had simply forgotten to eat and sleep.
He was waiting for me, leaning against the doorframe with his arms crossed. He wore old pants but no shirt.
“You’re going out like that?”
“I’d rather go out naked, but I don’t want to scare anyone out there.” I rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, right.”
He caught my arm as I tried to pass him toward the hallway. He inhaled, smelling me.
“You’re sure your heat won’t come back? The three-day duration still worries me.”
Being around a couple in heat was… dangerous for other males. A mated wolf usually became very aggressive when the female went into heat. Edric had shown remarkable control—or he would’ve ripped Anton’s head off at the first opportunity.
“Yes, I’m sure.”
I didn’t feel anything that suggested otherwise. No warmth, no desperate need to be fucked, and my wolf seemed calm and satisfied. Nothing like before.
I ran down the stairs, desperate to feel the breeze on my face and breathe fresh air after being locked inside for so long. Edric followed closely, his eyes burning on the back of my neck, still worried about the heat’s duration.
I pushed the door open without a second thought.
Snow fell in small crystals of ice, swirling in the air. The white landscape of the forest shimmered before me, making me blink and adjust my eyes to the brightness.
“Missed the fresh air?” Edric whispered, leaning close behind me.
“Didn’t you?” I asked. He shrugged.
“As alluring as this landscape may be, the one I’ve had for the past three days tops the list of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen,” he murmured and planted a kiss on the top of my head.
A silly smile spread across my face. My wolf purred, making me let out the sound, which drew a smug laugh from Edric. I huffed and rolled my eyes.
I leapt forward, jumping from the balcony railing and landing on the soft, snow-covered ground.
“My God!” Andrei’s voice came from my right. I turned toward him, pressing a hand to my chest. “I can’t believe we’re actually seeing the lovebirds.”
“I thought we’d have to send someone to rescue them in the meantime,” Lyris teased, stopping beside her brother. She looked me up and down. “How are you? Need some ointment?”
My face burned so hot I thought it might explode from embarrassment.
“Is it risky to get close to you two?” Anton asked, approaching as well.
I heard more footsteps and spotted Nicoleta.
“May I go clean the house?”
Edric slipped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close.
“How are things in the village?” he asked, ignoring the teasing.
“They missed their leader,” Andrei replied.
“And what did you tell them?”
Anton ran a hand through his hair and shrugged.
“The truth. We told them Lunara’s she-wolf came into heat earlier, and you had to stay by her side, fulfilling your role as her mated companion.”
The air caught in my lungs.